Chapter 24: “Atlanta Is Ours”: Summer–Fall 1864

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You know, some moments in history, they just feel like they hang by a thread,

utterly precarious.

The summer of 1864 for Abraham Lincoln was definitely one of those times.

Just imagine a nation completely worn out, the Civil War dragging on, countless lives lost, and this upcoming presidential election.

Well, it felt like it could decide the whole fate of the Union, the stakes.

You can just feel them were incredibly high.

Oh, they truly were.

Union hopes, I mean, they were fading fast that spring and summer.

Casualties just kept mounting.

And there was this palpable sense of deep anxiety gripping the country everywhere, really, from small farms right up to the highest offices in Washington.

It genuinely felt like America was a breaking point, a moment of just profound uncertainty.

So our mission today is to unpack exactly how Abraham Lincoln, dealing with these military setbacks that were just crushing public morale and intense political opposition threatening to tear his own party apart, and what must have been immense personal despair.

How did he navigate all that?

How did he manage to secure his reelection and, you know, ultimately the future of the nation?

We're going deep into the political genius and moral fortitude that Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates in her amazing work, Team of Rivals.

And Lincoln is right there at the heart of it, of course, surrounded by his famous Team of Rivals.

And these weren't just, you know, yes, men, these were ambitious, brilliant, often incredibly difficult cabinet members.

You've got Secretary of State William Seward, Treasury Secretary Salmon P.

Chase,

Postmaster General Montgomery Blair, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, each one a major force.

Exactly.

And then add to that the key military leaders like Grant and Sherman pushing their armies through just immense struggle and the political opponents too, like John Fremont and George McClellan, they all play crucial roles in this high stakes drama.

It's such a complex web.

So in this deep dive, we'll explore Lincoln's well, extraordinary leadership, his strategies for building and crucially maintaining coalitions, his remarkable moral growth through all this and his really sharp political astuteness, all unfolding against the backdrop of these critical civil war turning points and those intense, often quite bitter debates over emancipation.

It's, it's really a masterclass in leadership under pressure you can barely imagine.

And that pressure, it was right there from the start of that chaotic summer of 1864.

Let's begin with the crushing weight of the war, right?

The grim reality was just stark.

Union hoax were fading.

Gideon Wells, the Navy secretary, he wrote in his diary, I think it was June 20, something like the immense slaughter of our brave men chills and sickens us all.

Grant was stuck in that brutal, costly siege at Petersburg, couldn't dislodge Lee.

And Sherman, while he was facing tough resistance, moving agonizingly slowly through Georgia, just a grinding bloody stalemate.

And the personal toll within Lincoln's own administration, it really mirrored the fears across the whole country.

The Seward's, for instance, they had sleepless nights worrying about their youngest son, William, who nearly died at Cold Harbor.

Elizabeth Blair with her husband in the Navy and her brother was Sherman.

She became, she said, so nervous she'd quake all night with terror.

And Wells himself, he felt pained beyond what I can describe seeing his own 18 -year -old son Thomas go off to war.

He worried he'd come back mutilated and a ruined man.

This kind of awful apprehension, it wasn't just in Washington, it was at hundreds of thousands of homes across the Union.

Wow.

The morale sounds just devastating.

So how did Lincoln, surrounded by all this despair,

even begin to try and lift people's spirits?

What could he even do?

Well, he understood that leadership meant offering hope, right?

He couldn't just reflect the despair.

And he found this perfect forum in mid -June, the Great Central Fair in Philadelphia.

It was benefiting the Sanitary Commission.

You should think of that Sanitary Commission as basically the Red Cross of its time, a private relief agency, but absolutely essential for Union soldier welfare.

Lincoln went and the atmosphere was just electric.

Thousands cheering descriptions of miracles as many as Faust saw, just huge energy.

So he seized that moment.

Absolutely.

He gave this really carefully drafted speech.

He acknowledged the war was terrible, admitted it had destroyed property and ruined homes, brought mourning to almost every home.

He didn't shy away from the pain, but then he masterfully pivoted, emphasizing it was all for a worthy object and it would only end when that object is attained.

His words, filled with this unshakable determination, they just instantly uplifted and emboldened the crowd.

It was brilliant, really.

Connecting that immense sacrifice to a larger noble purpose.

And then just a few days later, he felt this urgent need to visit Grant at City Point, even though Wells, his Navy secretary, disapproved, right?

Thought it could only do harm.

Yeah, Wells was skeptical,

but Lincoln desperately needed that direct contact, I think, both for his own spirits and to really see the situation firsthand.

He traveled on the steamer Baltimore with his son, Tad.

And that visit, it tells you so much about him.

It really does.

When he arrived, he immediately went to Grant,

wrung General Grant's hand vigorously, held it for a while, just showing deep appreciation.

He took time for a cordial greeting for every single staff member.

And during this plain and substantial lunch, Lincoln was, you know, being Lincoln, telling stories, making jokes, three capital jokes, apparently getting real laughter.

It was his way of easing that crushing burden of for himself and for them.

And then there's that amazing image from the sources, the ride to the front.

Porter on Grant's staff talks about Lincoln's odd appearance on horseback, his trousers working their way up his ankles.

Right, making him look like a country farmer riding into town.

What was it about that almost comical look that resonated so much with the soldiers?

I think it was because he looked like one of them, that he was the president.

The troops were just lost in admiration, erupting in cheers, enthusiastic shouts.

That image, the common man in the highest office, he was incredibly powerful.

And crucially, they passed a brigade of black soldiers, and these men rushed forward, screaming, yelling, shouting, hurrah for the liberator, hurrah for the president.

This completely spontaneous outburst, it moved Lincoln to tears.

It was just this direct, visceral validation of his emancipation policy, seeing its impact right there.

Wow.

And that evening back at headquarters, he spent hours with Grant's staff, famous for storytelling, of course.

But what was special about how he used stories?

Well, as many people noted, he did not tell a story merely for the sake of the anecdote, but to point a moral or clench effect.

Always purposeful.

He'd tell stories, like the one about the two competing powder merchants, to make a point about war profiteering.

Or he'd make these shrewd observations, like the electoral college is the only one where they choose their own masters, highlighting the power of American voters.

The humor always served a deeper truth.

And before Lincoln left, Grant gave him that really strong pledge, didn't he?

The one Lincoln would repeat later.

He did.

Grant told him,

you will never hear of me farther from Richmond than now till I have taken it.

I am just as sure of going into Richmond as I am of any future event.

Very reassuring for Lincoln.

So Lincoln went back to Washington, sunburnt and fagged, but still refreshed and cheered.

And that personal boost allowed him to project renewed hope, right?

Reinforcing his faith in Grant.

Exactly.

And this wasn't just wishful thinking.

As Dana Goldman points out, hope is really about believing you have the will and the way to accomplish your goals.

Lincoln understood setbacks would happen, but he truly believed the North would prevail.

And he projected that unwavering conviction.

That was crucial.

Okay.

So while the military struggles are raging, Lincoln's facing this equally intense battle right inside his own cabinet.

This leads to the really dramatic departure of his treasury secretary, Salmon P.

Chase, around late June, early July, 1864.

This part is just a prime example of Lincoln's political navigation.

It really is.

The forbearance Lincoln had shown Chase for so long, it was finally exhausted.

This tension had been building forever, really fueled by Chase's pretty obvious presidential ambitions.

And it finally boiled over and started with the resignation of John Francisco, the assistant treasurer in New York.

Lincoln wanted a replacement acceptable to both wings of the New York Republican party.

Unity, right?

But Chase, well, he wanted to fill positions with his own guys, often former Democrats, who are now radical Republicans.

He just defied Lincoln on this.

So Chase deliberately picked a fight he thought he could win.

Pretty much.

He ignored Lincoln's direction to talk to Senator Morgan.

Instead, he nominated this Democratic journalist with, frankly, no real financial or political standing.

It was a direct challenge.

Chase clearly thought he was indispensable, that Lincoln wouldn't dare risk a fight, especially with the war going badly.

But Lincoln called his bluff.

He sure did.

Lincoln got what was actually Chase's fourth letter of resignation.

Chase used this tactic often, expecting Lincoln to refuse it.

But this time, Lincoln had had enough.

He later said he found the letter, read it, and thought, hello, this is a horse of another color.

He just tersely accepted it, citing mutual embarrassment in their official relationship.

This wasn't just personal.

It was Lincoln asserting control over his own cabinet,

presidential authority.

Chase must have been absolutely stunned.

Completely.

He expected to be begged to stay, not have his resignation accepted just like that.

Blinded by his own self -righteousness, he felt wronged and hurt.

He blamed Lincoln for not being earnest enough or radical enough.

He famously told a friend something like, the root of the matter was a difficulty of temperament.

The truth is that I have never been able to make a joke out of this war.

Such a clear contrast to Lincoln's own coping mechanism.

And the rest of the cabinet.

How did they react to this long -running drama finally ending?

Oh, there was collective relief.

Maybe even some delight.

Welles called Chase leaving a blessing.

Blair Sr.

was apparently thrilled Chase had dropped off at last like a rotten pear.

Seward, always more diplomatic, was just relieved the cabinet crisis didn't cause a severe shock in the country.

It really shows how disruptive Chase had become.

And Lincoln, ever the strategist, immediately picked William Pitt Fessenden as the successor.

The Fessenden didn't want it at first, did he?

Cited his health.

Yeah, he cried out, you must withdraw it.

I cannot accept.

He was genuinely unwell.

But Lincoln was incredibly persuasive.

He invoked providence, the national crisis, argued Fessenden was the man for the hour.

And Stanton, with his usual bluntness, basically told Fessenden, you cannot die better than in trying to save your country.

It just highlights Lincoln's knack for spotting talent and, more importantly, inspiring the sense of duty, even in someone reluctant.

And Fessenden's appointment got universal praise, right?

But what's really fascinating is Lincoln's next move regarding Chase.

He didn't just kick him out.

No, not at all.

Almost immediately, Lincoln remarked to Treasury Registrar Lucius Chittenden and Congressman Samuel Hooper that Chase would make a good chief justice.

Now, was this pure magnanimity?

Or was it incredibly shrewd politics?

Maybe both.

It shows Lincoln strategically using Chase's predictable ambition, knowing exactly when to show patience and when to draw a firm line.

He got a more loyal Treasury secretary and potentially neutralized a future opponent.

Just incredible foresight.

Right.

And the sources mention the personal side, too.

The troubles of Chase's daughter, Kate, and her marriage to Williamsboro.

Yeah, a brief but telling detail.

Her hopes for a partnership dashed by his drinking and control.

It just reminds you that amidst all this high politics and war, real people were living through intense personal struggles, too.

It's all intertwined.

Okay, so Lincoln's dealing with the war, dealing with his cabinet, and then July 1864 brings a literal threat right to Washington's doorstep.

Plus more political resistance.

Fessenden's appointment had briefly pleased the radicals, but that goodwill vanished when Lincoln refused to sign the Wade -Davis reconstruction bill.

Tell us about that bill.

Why was it such a big deal?

Well, this bill passed by Congress set out this really rigid formula for bringing seceded states back into the union.

It demanded majority oath of allegiance,

denied voting rights to many former Confederates, and imposed emancipation through Congress, not the president.

This is totally different from Lincoln's more lenient 10 % plan, which aimed to get states back quickly and peacefully, hopefully shorten the war.

Lincoln thought his way was more practical, maybe more constitutional, too.

So Lincoln vetoed it.

He used a pocket pedo.

Okay.

Basically, he let the bill die by not signing it before Congress adjourned.

He famously compared its inflexibility to April Crusty's bed.

You know the myth, where captas were stretched or chopped to fit.

It perfectly captured how the bill just ignored local realities and Lincoln's whole vision for healing the nation.

Strong analogy.

But that must have absolutely infuriated the radical Republicans.

Oh, it did.

A firestorm.

Lincoln knew it would damage him politically.

He said something like, to be wounded in the house of one's friends is perhaps the most grievous affliction.

And sure enough, Wade and Davis published this bitter

manifesto, accusing him of acting out of crass electoral concerns.

That vitriolic tone, it really hurt Lincoln, not just personally, but because it threatened to split the Republican Party, undoing all the unity he'd worked so hard for.

A real reminder of the cost is sticking to your principles.

And then, as if the political infighting wasn't enough drama?

Right.

Suddenly, there's this actual physical threat.

Rumors that Confederate General Jubal and maybe 15 ,000 troops were marching north towards Washington.

And the rumors turned out to be true.

Elizabeth Blair, Monty Blair's wife, she was really worried, wasn't she?

For her family's homes at Silver Spring, Maryland.

Her fears were completely justified.

Early's troops, their goal was partly to try and draw a grant away from Petersburg.

They just tore through the area, destroyed railroad tracks, stores, homes.

They hit Monty Blair's mansion, Falkland, suffered wholesale destruction, eventually torched, just a blackened ruin left.

And at his father's nearby estate, it was described as a perfect Saturnalia looting, soldiers messing around.

But then, amidst that chaos, something really unexpected happens.

An act of kindness.

It's an amazing story.

Generals Jubal Early and John Breckenridge actually arrive at Blair Senior's home.

And Breckenridge, seeing his own soldiers rampaging, just loses it.

He furiously intervenes to protect the estate.

Why?

Because he remembered a past kindness from the elder Blair years ago, during a tough time in his own life.

It was described as bread cast upon the waters.

A really remarkable moment, showing that even in war, personal history, past goodwill could still matter.

Meanwhile, Washington itself is in panic mode, right?

Government clerks getting muskets.

But Lincoln.

Lincoln remained incredibly calm.

John Hay noted his pleasant and confident humor, said he didn't seem the least concerned about the safety of Washington.

He and Stanton even rode through the streets in an open carriage to reassure people.

That calm demeanor when everyone else was freaking out was such a key part of his leadership.

Projecting stability.

The skirmishing went on for days, and then we get that famous story from Fort Stevens.

Lincoln, right up on the parapet.

Yeah, showing remarkable coolness and disregard of danger, standing there in a line of fire.

Until, famously, a young captain Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

supposedly yelled at him, get down, you fool.

It's such an iconic image.

It really is.

It just encapsulates his composure, his willingness to be right there with his troops, facing the danger.

Maybe a bit reckless, sure, but it showed courage.

It showed he understood the war wasn't abstract.

It was real people, and he was with them.

Okay, this brings us to August, 1864.

The summer of despair, but also unwavering resolve.

The mood across the North was just awful, wasn't it?

Widespread despondency.

Truly dark.

The shocking slaughter at Petersburg.

Especially that disaster at the Battle of the Union troops were trapped and massacred.

That.

Plus, early getting away from Washington, it fueled intense gloom.

Wells wrote about a blight and sadness.

Bates felt heartsick.

It sounds like rock bottom.

It really felt like it.

Yet Lincoln, unlike a lot of his cabinet, he refused to let the crater disaster shake his faith in Grant.

He immediately met with Grant at Fort Monroe.

They looked ahead, dispatched General Philip Sheridan to the Shenandoah Valley, defined early, and followed him to the death.

Lincoln said, This I think is exactly right.

It's just testament to his ability to stay focused on the long game, even right after a tragedy.

But the public wasn't feeling that confidence.

Thurlow Weed warned Seward,

the people are wild for peace.

And into this atmosphere steps Horace Greeley,

right?

Believing Confederate ambassadors were at Niagara Falls, urging Lincoln to meet them.

Yeah, Greeley.

Lincoln was skeptical.

Very skeptical.

But he sent Greeley anyway with that confidential note,

to whom it may concern.

And it stated clearly, any peace deal had to include the restoration of peace, the integrity of the whole union, and the abandonment of slavery.

Non -negotiable.

And this plan just blew up in his face.

Spectacularly bad -fired.

The Confederate envoys, who didn't even have real credentials, they leaked Lincoln's letter.

And they twisted it, falsely blaming Lincoln for wrecking peace talks because of the abolition demand.

Democratic newspapers just jumped all over this, accusing Lincoln of prolonging the war just to free slaves.

It caused panic among Republicans.

Many thought his re -election was now an impossibility.

A huge blow to the campaign.

But this period, it really shows Lincoln's core, his moral compass.

Despite all the pressure, the near certainty of defeat, he said what?

I confess that I desire to be re -elected.

I honestly believe that I can better

Exactly.

He was resolved.

Win the war on Northern terms.

Free the slaves, even if it cost him the election.

And then, that extraordinary moment with a blind memo.

What exactly was that?

What does it tell us?

It's incredible.

August 23rd, he asked his entire cabinet to sign this memo, folded so they couldn't see what it said.

They sign it blind.

And what it said was basically a commitment.

If he lost the election, the administration would still work with the president -elect before the inauguration to save the union.

He was preparing for defeat,

preparing for a Democratic successor who might compromise on slavery, and trying to ensure the union survived regardless.

It's just an act of profound moral courage.

Yeah.

Country over self.

Absolutely.

Unwavering commitment to the union and emancipation, even if it meant helping a political opponent who might undo his work.

Astounding.

And another really pivotal moment from this dark period.

That August 19th meeting with Frederick Douglass.

Lincoln was candidly afraid that if the war ended too soon, prematurely, many slaves would remain in bondage.

He even proposed this audacious plan.

A band of scouts, composed of colored men, kind of like John Brown's original idea.

But to spread the news of emancipation deep in the South, encourage slaves to reach union lines, shows how deeply he was grappling with the how of freedom.

And Douglass, who'd been pretty critical of Lincoln at times, he was really impressed by this meeting.

He really was.

Douglass advised Lincoln against sending this sort of evasive letter to a war Democrat, warning it could look like a complete surrender of your anti -slavery policy.

And Lincoln in turn argued passionately that no human power can subdue this rebellion without using the emancipation lever.

He said he'd be damned in time and in eternity if he betrayed the cause of freedom just to appease the South.

A powerful, raw defense of his principles.

Douglass later wrote, He treated me as a man.

He did not let me feel for a moment that there was any difference in the color of our skins.

He felt he saw the situation as it appeared to Mr.

Lincoln's eyes.

And Lincoln called Douglass one of the most meritorious men in America.

That mutual respect forged right there in the fire.

It clearly strengthened Lincoln's resolve.

He permanently shelved that draft letter to Robinson,

ditched Raymond's idea of sending commissioners to Richmond.

No compromise on union and freedom.

And then on August 25th, Lincoln gets together with Seward, Stanton, Fessenden, Nicolet, called the stronger half of the cabinet, and they meet with the Republican National Committee.

Right.

And they basically convinced the committee that Raymond's peace plan, the one suggesting compromise, would be worse than losing the presidential contest.

That was a crucial turning point.

It gave Republicans renewed hope, showed Lincoln pulling his often fractious team together when it really counted.

You know, it's just incredible how quickly things can pivot in politics and war.

So late August, September 1864, we see this dramatic turnaround.

While Republicans had been despairing, the Democrats were having their own problems at their convention.

Oh, definitely.

They were deeply split.

You had the war Democrats who still wanted military victory, but then you had the peace Democrats pushing for an immediate ceasefire, even if it meant, well, compromising the union's integrity.

As New York Herald put it, they have a peace leg and a war leg.

That fundamental division, it really hobbled them.

And this division leads them to nominate George McClellan, but on a platform that Templeton -Strong called just awful, the baseness of the platform Jefferson Davis might have drawn it.

What was so bad about it?

The platform itself declared four years of failure to restore the union and demanded immediate efforts be made for a cessation of hostilities.

Now, McClellan tried to walk this back a bit in his acceptance speech, but he was essentially running on a platform condemning the very war effort he was supposedly known for leading.

It just created this dark, maybe fatal contrast with Lincoln's unwavering stance.

And then boom, just three days later, the news that changes everything.

Exactly.

Stunning news.

September 3rd, Sherman wires that Atlanta has fallen and almost simultaneously news comes that Admiral Farragut has captured Mobile Bay.

As Strong said, it was the greatest event of the war, especially coming right at that political low point.

The impact must have been immediate.

Absolutely.

Jubilant headlines, spontaneous celebrations across the North.

Seward gives this hour -long, off -the -cuff speech in Auburn, praising Lincoln, declaring that with his reelection, the rebellion will perish and leave no route.

Wells saw it immediately.

This would be the keynote of the campaign.

It would wreak havoc on Democratic plans.

It wasn't just military success.

It was a massive psychological victory.

It completely shifted the political landscape.

And that remarkable transformation in the Republican mood.

It was almost overnight,

right?

Despair vanished.

Yeah, replaced by a hopeful, jubilant, hard at work and confident of success.

Even critics like Theodore Tilton suddenly swung behind Lincoln.

And this shift even caught Sam and Chase off guard.

It did.

He'd spent the summer kind of keeping his options open, talking to anti -Lincoln groups.

But now, with Atlanta and Mobile Bay, he realized no new leaders are to be brought forward.

He decided it was time to get back to Washington and publicly support Lincoln.

Just shows you the raw power of battlefield victories in politics.

All right, moving into September 1864.

Military victories are boosting morale, but John Fremont's third -party run is still a problem, isn't it?

Still a serious obstacle threatening to split the Republican vote.

It was.

And to get Fremont out, Lincoln needed the support of the Radical Republicans.

But they were still bitterly opposed to one particular cabinet member, Postmaster General Montgomery Blair.

Blair was just a lightning rod for them.

Totally.

He kept feuding with Stanton, publicly criticizing military decisions.

His cabinet life was apparently unbearable.

Now, Blair had actually offered to resign before, and his father had repeated the offer, saying Monti would very willingly be a martyr to the Radical frenzy.

So, Lincoln faced this tough choice.

Keep it loyal, be a controversial friend, or sacrifice him to unify the party for the election.

What finally made Lincoln decide to accept the resignation?

The pressure just built up.

Senator Zachariah Chandler essentially brokered a deal.

Blair steps down, and in return, Fremont withdraws his candidacy, and the Radicals throw their full support behind Lincoln.

Classic political horse trading.

Trading one problem for a much bigger gain party unity.

So, September 23rd, Lincoln writes Blair the Letter.

Accepting the resignation, but expressing personal esteem, framing it as political necessity.

How did Blair react?

Well, he was surprised, despite having offered before.

He told Wells and Bates, my head is decapitated.

He definitely felt like he was a peace offering to Fremont and his friends.

Wells and Bates were sad to see him go, called it a misfortune.

But what's really amazing is the Blair family's loyalty.

Despite the hurt, Monti and his father ultimately believed it was all for the best, necessary for the salvation of the Republic and Lincoln's re -election.

Frank Blair agreed too, and Monti himself actually went out and campaigned for Lincoln.

It just shows the incredible strength of the connection Lincoln had forged with that family.

It really was a masterful move by Lincoln.

He gets the unity he needs, Fremont out, Radicals in, but he does it without losing the crucial support of the powerful conservative Blairs.

It just underscores his unique ability to manage these competing factions for the greater good, even when it involved personally difficult decisions.

And that sets the stage for the final verdict.

October and November 1864.

The culmination of this whole epic struggle.

The October state elections in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana.

They were seen as really critical harbingers for the November presidential election.

A preview of the national mood.

What was election night like for Lincoln himself, waiting for those state results?

Well, he made his usual visit to the War Department Telegraph Office.

Dana recalled Lincoln seemed anxious.

In a cope, he pulled out a thin yellow covered pamphlet by the humorist Petroleum V.

Nasby and started reading bits aloud to decuse the tension.

Stanton, however, was just appalled.

Indignation, Dana called it.

Stanton couldn't comprehend readings at Balderdash during a national crisis.

He never really got how vital that humor was for Lincoln's emotional survival.

Were the early returns good?

They were hopeful, yes.

A few nights later, feeling unusually weary,

Lincoln sat down to calculate his own chances for November.

His initial estimate was incredibly close.

Just 117 to 114 electoral votes.

He worried that such a narrow win, the moral effect of his triumph would be broken.

But there were positive signs elsewhere, too, right?

Like in Maryland.

Yes.

Maryland ratified a new state constitution abolishing slavery.

And crucially, the soldier vote made the difference there.

Lincoln was overjoyed.

He said, it cleans up a piece of ground.

It wasn't just about winning elections for him.

It was about that tangible progress the expansion of freedom.

And that soldier vote, it was absolutely critical overall, wasn't it?

The Democrats thought the soldiers would back McClellan, their old general.

They did.

But Lincoln trusted the bond he'd built with his men on all those trips to the front.

He told someone, I would rather be defeated with the soldier vote behind me than to be elected without it.

He really knew his soldiers.

The War Department made sure they could vote, arranging furloughs, sending steamboats.

It highlights Lincoln's deep faith in the common soldier, knowing that unique connection they felt with Father Abraham.

The leader who suffered alongside them would be decisive.

It was a deeply personal relationship, not just political.

Election Day itself, November 8, 1864, described as dark and rainy.

Lincoln must have been incredibly anxious.

He was entirely alone at the White House for much of the day, couldn't even vote himself, as Illinois law required him to be present there.

Found it hard to focus.

Found some respite telling a funny story about his son, Tad, pleading for the life of the Thanksgiving turkey.

Then, as evening came, he headed to the telegraph office for the vigil.

Right.

Seven o 'clock, he walked over.

Reflected on his political life, how his campaigns were always marked for their bitterness.

He even joked about his 1858 Senate loss to Douglas, saying, it's a slip and not a fall.

Just that characteristic ability to keep perspective, even in intense moments.

And the returns started coming in?

Yes.

And they were positive.

Even better than the October results.

By midnight, it was clear.

Lincoln's victory was assured.

Though the sheer scale of it, that lopsided Electoral College win of 212 to 21, that took days to fully sink in.

And even in victory, he showed that typical magnanimity.

He did.

How so?

When he heard that Winter Davis, one of his harshest critics, had lost his own race, Lincoln just said, if any man ceases to attack me, I never remember the past against him.

Just remarkable lack of vindictiveness.

Always focused on reconciliation on the future.

But maybe the most stunning result was that soldier vote.

Overwhelmingly for Lincoln.

Just incredible.

Eight out of ten votes in the Western armies went to Lincoln.

Even seven out of ten in McClellan's own former command, the Army of the Potomac.

Why do you think that was?

It's crucial.

The soldiers voted not just for victory, Goodwin argues, but out of genuine veneration and love for Father Abraham, for the cause he represented.

This landslide victory gave him that full, clear, and unmistakable mandate he needed.

A mandate to see the war through until both liberty and union were secured.

It was just this powerful endorsement of his leadership, his vision, his connection with the people fighting the war.

And that, you, our listener, really captures the essence of Lincoln's triumph in that incredibly difficult year 1864.

This deep dive, I hope, has highlighted his almost unbelievable resilience against immense pressure, his incredibly shrewd political maneuvering to keep the Union cause and his own party together.

And his moral steadfastness, especially on emancipation.

Never wavering, even when it looked like political suicide.

It really shows us that true leadership isn't just about managing the crisis of the moment, but holding fast to a vision for a better future, even when the odds seem completely stacked against you.

And that deep connection he had with ordinary people, with the soldiers, forged through shared suffering and, I think, genuine empathy.

That proved absolutely invaluable.

His leadership in 1864 didn't just win an election, it secured the path forward for both union and freedom, profoundly shaping the America we know today.

So, maybe a final thought to leave you with.

Considering those unprecedented challenges Lincoln faced, what does his unwavering commitment to both union and liberty teach us about leadership in our own times of deep national division?

Something to ponder long after this deep dive concludes.

Thank you so much for joining us on the deep dive.

We hope this journey through such a pivotal moment in American history has been as enlightening for you as it was for us.